Recovery speed for this elbow injury?!
Question:
Recovery speed for this elbow injury?
On sunday I fell off my bicycle while going downhill. I thinkI accidentally used front wheel brake which caused the bike to stop dead and then stand up on the front wheel. I flew over the handle bar and landed on my hands.
What suffered the most is my elbows. The x-ray at the emergency room didn't reveal any broken bones and I was sent home in removable splint.
For the first 2 days I wasn't able to move my arms or hands at all and the slightest motion such as breathing caused pain.
Now 5 days later i can move my fingers pretty well (typing is okay now) but I still can't bend my elbows much. I can't straighten my arms either. They are kind of stuck at a certain angle with not much bending ability. Very very stiff. I am not able to touch my face or take my shirt off.
My question to those with a similar experience: how long does is usually take before I can use my hands and arms? How long does this stiffness last? It got much better from day 2 to day 3, but hasn't changed since.
Answers:
Within a week you should regain almost all mobility. If there is very little progress over the next 5-10 days, I would see my doctor again.